Electrical connectors for printed circuit boards often are called "header" connectors and include dielectric housings for mounting a plurality of terminals. The housing includes receptacle means for receiving the printed circuit board, usually an edge of the board, in position for engagement of the terminals with circuit traces on the board. The housing usually is molded of plastic material and typically includes passages, partitions or the like for holding the terminals on predetermined centers or a prescribed "pitch". Such mounting means or spacing means inherently place a limit on close centering of the terminals.
This invention is directed to solving problems encountered with header connectors as described above, by eliminating the header housing which mounts or holds the terminals. In turn, the terminals are mounted directly to the printed circuit board. Elimination of the housing increases the "real estate" on the printed circuit board, reduces the costs of fabricating the assembly and improves the heat dissipation from the terminals by more efficient convection. The terminals can be mounted to the printed circuit board directly from a carrier strip in a stamping and forming operation which maintains the close spacing between the terminal centers. The circuit board, with the mounted terminals, then are assembled to a header housing which is part of an enclosure to house the printed circuit board.